Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Norwegian Air UK, the UK unit of Norwegian, is suspending scheduled flights from London Gatwick to Singapore from 11 January 2019. The last B787-9 flight of Norwegian to Singapore from Gatwick is on 10 January 2019 while the final outbound flight to Gatwick from Singapore falls on 11 January 2019.
According to Norwegian winter flight schedules with effect from 28 October 2018, Norwegian Air UK flight DI7407 departs from Gatwick for Singapore on Wednesdays and Sundays at 10.50 am, arrives in Singapore at 7.30 am on Thursdays and Mondays. Flight DI7408 leaves Singapore for Gatwick on Mondays and Thursdays at 9.30 am and touches down in Gatwick at 3.40 pm local time.
On Mondays and Thursdays, flight DI7409 takes off from Gatwick for Singapore at 11.55 pm, lands in Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 at 8.35 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays before leaving Singapore for Gatwick at 10.50 pm and arriving in Gatwick at 5 am local time under flight DI7410.
Norwegian is not represented by a GSA or a Norwegian sales office in Singapore. There is no commercial marketing activity outside the digital world on the Gatwick-Singapore route service. The withdrawal of Norwegian Air UK from the Singapore travel markets is a siren to other airlines operating flights to Singapore without any marketing representative and ticketing sales office in the Lion City.
Norwegian Air UK's first scheduled flight to Singapore from Gatwick is on 28 September 2017.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
MIAT Mongolian Airlines operates seasonal winter flights to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi only. There are no plans to operate flights to the Thai capital from Ulaanbaatar all-year round. The first resumption flight takes place on 28 October 2018 and will continue until 30 March 2019 using either a B737-800 or B767-300ER aircraft.
On 28 October 2018, MIAT B737-800 flight OM701 departs from Ulaanbaatar for Suvarnabhumi at 4.35 pm, arrives in Ulaanbaatar at 9.55 pm before leaving Suvarnabhumi for Ulaanbaatar at 10.55 pm and touching down in Ulaanbaatar at 6.05 am on 29 October 2018 under flight OM702.
According to Routes Online, MIAT Mongolian Airlines will utilize B767-300ER on this route from 15 December 2018 to 12 January 2019 and from 2 February 2019 to 6 February 2019. The B737-800 will operate flights to Suvarnabhumi on other Wednesdays and Saturdays.
MIAT Mongolian Airlines also plans to open a new route from Ulaanbaatar to Guangzhou later this year, subject to regulatory approval. Therefore, the schedules have yet to be released.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
9 Air, Guangzhou's only low-cost airline, launches its first ever international scheduled flight on 2 October 2018. It departs from Guangzhou for Mandalay on this date using one of its 15 B737-800 aircraft.
On 2 October 2018, 9 Air flight AQ1001 departs from Guangzhou for Mandalay at 12.05 pm, arrives in Mandalay at 1.40 pm before leaving Mandalay for Guangzhou at 2.40 pm and touching down in Guangzhou at 6.55 pm under flight AQ1002.
9 Air departs for Mandalay from Guangzhou on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. To celebrate the launch of its international flight operations, 9 Air is promoting return air fare excluding taxes and surcharges from 9 Yuan on 9air.com to customers. The air fare costs 1700 Yuan after taxes and surcharges are added. The public can purchase Guangzhou-Mandalay-Guangzhou flight tickets from Ctrip, Trip, Tuniu, Meituan and other Chinese-based online ticketing platforms from 16 September 2018.
9 Air informs the media that its B737-800 to be operated on the Mandalay route has wider legroom than a typical A320 aircraft legroom. However, the overhead compartment can only store soft travel bags and backpacks up to 7 kg free weight allowance and maximum dimensions of 90 cm. Wheeled luggage and backpacks measuring more than 90 cm are not allowed to be stored in the overhead compartment. Passengers have to pay to check-in such baggage.
9 Air has been operating scheduled domestic flights for 4 years. It starts its inaugural domestic flight from Guangzhou on 2 December 2014. The Guangzhou-Mandalay route sets the precedent for 9air international flight expansion. Following the new route to Mandalay, 9 Air hopes to launch scheduled flights from Guangzhou to Kalibo, Don Mueang, Danang and many Japanese airports in the year ahead.
Currently 9air's 15 B737-800 aircraft connect its bases in Guangzhou and Guiyang with Tianjin, Zhengzhou, Harbin, Urumqi and more than 40 cities in China. It expects to receive 5 more B737-800 aircraft by end of 2018 and aims to own up to 80 aircraft by 2025.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Since the approval of the setup of Air Guilin as a scheduled airline in September 2015, the approval of newly established trunk passenger airlines in China from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has suddenly tightened, and no company has obtained an operating license within three years.
This situation is finally expected to change. On 10 September 2018, CAAC issued a notice, announcing that Beijing Airlines has been issued the license which will enable the airline to start providing public air transport services. The procedure for the certificate enters the publicity period. If there is no opposition, Beijing Airlines will complete all the approval procedures and start scheduled flight operations before the end of 2018.
Beijing Airlines was established in 2003. It has been a holding company of Air China, and is mainly engaged in the operation of private business aviation activities. It operates business charter flights from Beijing to other domestic cities and as far to Hong Kong.
In May 2018, Beijing Airlines was approved to be transformed into a public air transport enterprise that operates trunk passenger transport business finally.
According to the announcement released on 10 September, Air China, Beijing Northern Investment Group Co., Ltd., Beijing State-owned Assets Management Co., Ltd. and Zhongda Yinrui Investment Co., Ltd. will hold 51%, 18%, 18% and 13% of the shares in Beijing Airlines respectively. The registered capital of the new company has reached 1 billion Yuan.
The main base of Beijing Airlines will be located at Beijing Capital International Airport, which is also the main operating base of Air China. As one of the most popular aviation hubs in China, Beijing Capital Airport has always had many restrictions on resource allocation. The airlines that can operate at Beijing Capital Airport as the main base are only Air China, Xinhua Airlines (HNA) and Capital Airlines.
This situation will change after Beijing's second new international airport is put into operation by October 2019 when a number of domestic airlines including China Eastern and China Southern, China United Airlines and China Southern's planned low-cost startup Xiongan Airlines will operate here.
It is under such changes that Air China, which has always had an absolute advantage in Beijing Capital, has begun to plan for the future. The impact of Beijing Capital Airport after the new airport starts operations and the changes in the air transport market in Beijing and even in North China after the next two operations are still difficult to judge, so it is necessary to respond in advance.
In this context, Beijing Airlines began to seek to convert its operational qualifications from CCAR 135 (small aircraft commercial transport operator operation certification rules) to CCAR 121 (large aircraft public air transport carrier operation certification rules) to enable it to change from engagement in business aviation operations to being able to operate large commercial airliners, thereby joining the competition in mainline passenger transportation business.
CAAC has approved Beijing Airlines to purchase three B737 series aircraft from Air China, and at the same time transfer 37 flight personnel, 13 maintenance personnel, 81 flight attendants, 10 security officers, 9 dispatchers and 2 transport personnel from Air China. Other service guarantees such as aircraft spraying, call signs and operations are in place.
Although Beijing Airlines' current main operating base is still Beijing Capital Airport, there is news that Beijing Airlines will eventually operate at the new Beijing airport and will also operate under a low-cost aviation service model. China United Airlines and Spring Airlines, the largest low-cost carrier in China, will operate at the new airport in Beijing. This will also change the current situation of low-cost airlines that are difficult to enter the Beijing market due to resource constraints.
However, the relatively special approval to Beijing Airlines does not mean that the attitude of the industry authorities on the approval and regulation of the mainline airlines has changed. After two stages of liberalization, there are currently more than 50 companies operating air passenger flights in China, and some smaller airlines have begun to show signs of being unable to adapt to market competition.
For example, a Northeast-based airline recently transferred most of the company's equity to another non-aeronautical business in the central region, and increasing resource competition caused by fragmentation of industry resources, non-benign market competition, and flight safety supervision pressure has also become a problem for industry management organizations.
At present, there are still many enterprises waiting in line to wait for the “tickets” of the civil aviation transportation industry. However, apart from regional aviation and cargo aviation companies, it is very difficult for new trunk airlines to be approved.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Hong Kong Airlines has announced that its newly received A350 Airbus passenger aircraft is equipped with new Business Class seats and Thales' state-of-the-art entertainment system to further enhance the passenger flight experience. At the same time it expects to put the existing A350 aircraft on the Beijing route service starting from 17 September 2018. The aircraft will also operate on the Bangkok route during the first month, allowing cabin crews to familiarize themselves with the flight operations before transfer to the regular Los Angeles route.
Hong Kong Airlines' newly designed Business Class seats known as Super Diamond are designed by Rockwell Collins. As one of the world's best Business Class seats, Super Diamond seats allow passengers to enjoy the most comfortable and private journey. These seats have more spacious seating space, with on-board entertainment, meals and rest facilities to give passengers a top-class Business Class experience.
The new A350 passenger Business Class features 33 Super Diamond seats in a 1-2-1 anti-fishbone layout. Each seat allows passengers to enter and exit the passage independently, enjoying private space to handle business and relax. Passengers can easily adjust their positions or lie flat on comfortable 78-inch long beds by pressing the seat controllers to ensure a good night's sleep.
At the same time, Hong Kong Airlines has installed the latest in-flight entertainment system AVANT provided by Thales on the A350. The TV screen is 17 inches wide and features a light-touch portable remote control for a great entertainment experience. Since receiving the first A350 aircraft last year, Hong Kong Airlines has continued to enrich its high-end service packages, including allowing passengers to work and rest comfortably with special pillows and quilts in a stylish, tonal cabin environment.
The Beijing-Hong Kong route is one of the most important routes of Hong Kong Airlines. The high-frequency, luxurious and comfortable models and quality services have made Hong Kong Airlines one of the first choices for business and leisure travel between the two cities. The Hong Kong Airlines Beijing-Hong Kong route started in June 2008, and the airline currently operates three times a day using the A330 until 16 September 2018.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
9air extends its Hefei - Huizhou route to Haikou on 6 September 2018. Operating daily using B737-800 aircraft, flight AQ1077 departs from Huizhou for Haikou at 6.55 pm, touches down in Haikou at 8.15 pm before leaving Haikou for Huizhou at 9.15 pm and arriving in Huizhou at 10.35 pm under flight AQ1078.
9air launches its new route from Hefei to Huizhou on 6 September 2018.
Daily Flight Schedules of 9air's Hefei - Huizhou - Haikou routes :-
Flight Route Schedule Timing Effective Date
AQ1080 Hefei - Huizhou 10.45 am to 1 pm effective 6 September 2018
AQ1077 Huizhou - Haikou 6.55 pm to 8.15 pm effective 6 September 2018
AQ1078 Haikou - Huizhou 9.15 pm to 10.35 pm effective 6 September 2018
AQ1079 Huizhou - Hefei 7.40 am to 9.55 am effective 7 September 2018
No other airline flies from Hefei to Huizhou and from Huizhou to Haikou.
According to 9air, in order to promote the return trips from Haikou, Hefei and Huizhou, it sells 199 tickets for 9 Yuan at 9 am every night for 6 days from now to 9 September 2018. On 9, 19 and 29 September it will continue to launch the ticket spike product: "Every 9 will be promoted" for customers to grab 9 Yuan, 99 Yuan and other ultra-low special tickets. Passengers can log onto WeChat with the "Nine Dollars" WeChat service number and APP to get the special ticket travel time and participate in the ticketing draws.
9air reminds passengers that if they purchase a 9air "fine budget" ticket or buy a special ticket on its official website at 9air.com, WeChat or APP at 9 Yuan, 99 Yuan, etc., such tickets do not have free checked baggage allowance. If passengers have more baggage, they can purchase the checked baggage allowance in advance by going to 9air.com, WeChat or APP to select the “Add Baggage” option 2 hours before the flight departs.
9air launches daily flight from Hefei to Huizhou on 6 September 2018, Ref : http://kucinta-setia.blogspot.com/2018/08/9air-launches-daily-flight-from-hefei.html
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
According to Genghis Khan Airlines, its first ARJ21-700 regional aircraft livery is unveiled at the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) aircraft assembly plant in Shanghai on 3 September 2018.
Genghis Khan Airlines is the first and only start-up airline of Inner Mongolia, China, set up and owned by the autonomous region government-owned Inner Mongolia Aviation Tourism Investment Group with an investment of 438 million US Dollars in 2015. It is run by executives that left Air China, 9air, Hebei Airlines, China Southern and Qingdao Airlines. For example, Tang Huanguang, Qingdao Airlines' former chairman, is in charge of preparing Genghis Khan Airlines for commercial service.
The Inner Mongolian airline has signed with COMAC to purchase 50 ARJ21 aircraft including 25 firm orders and options for additional 25 ARJ21 aircraft.
As the first ARJ21-700 livery of the airline is now presented, Genghis Khan Airlines expects to receive its first two ARJ21-700 aircraft from COMAC before December 2018. It has also entered agreement with COMAC to establish a flight school for its pilots, a maintenance and overhaul facility for the airline's operations and Genghis Khan Airlines training centre in Inner Mongolia to support civil aviation activities and operations.
CAAC has approved Genghis Khan Airlines to start operations anytime.
Genghis Khan Airlines will operate selected domestic flights from Hohhot to other 27 Inner Mongolian cities such as Erenhot, Erlian, Manzhouli, Xilinhot and Baotou initially by January 2019 or before using ARJ21 aircraft. It plans to introduce cross-regional domestic flights from Hohhot to Beijing, Harbin, Pudong, Shijiazhuang, Tianjin, Zhengzhou, Changsha, Qingdao, among other 80 destinations in China within the next five years.
By the time it receives its 25th ARJ21 aircraft, Genghis Khan Airlines aims to launch international flights from Hohhot to Ulaanbaatar, Ulan Ude, Irkutsk, Vladivostok, among other destinations in Mongolia and Russia, as well as to Hong Kong and Incheon using Airbus A320 or Boeing aircraft.
Under China's new aviation rule for start-up airlines, Rule 96 requires new start-up airlines in China to operate at least 25 regional aircraft with 100 seats or less before they are permitted to launch international flights from China. The regional aircraft types are ARJ21, Bombardier CRJ-900, Q400, Embraer E190 and Xian MA60. Genghis Khan Airlines has chosen ARJ21. Larger aircraft such as Airbus A320 as proposed by AirAsia for the failed AirAsia China start-up joint-venture in Zhengzhou are not qualified.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
SF Airlines launches direct cargo flight to Singapore from Shenzhen on 4 September 2018 using its B767-300BCF aircraft. This is the Shenzhen-based cargo airline's second international route after its Shenzhen - Chennai route on 5 August 2018.
SF Airlines, owned by China courier company SF Express (Group) Co, has a total of 44 freighter aircraft including 21 B757-200PCF and 5 B767-300ER/BCF aircraft. It first started domestic cargo flights in 2009.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
China Airlines code-shares with Japan Airlines on the latter's domestic routes in Japan, namely Sapporo - Niigata, Sapporo - Hanamaki, Fukuoka - Miyazaki, Fukuoka - Hanamaki, Fukuoka - Amami, Kagoshima - Amami and Kagoshima - Tokushima. It operates seven round-trip routes in cooperation with Japan Airlines. From 4 September 2018, China Airlines official web-site will start selling tickets on these Japanese second-tier city routes.
With the code-sharing flights, passengers will have more choices to visit second-tier cities in Japan, and more Japanese tourists will visit Taiwan, thus expanding the network coverage of Taiwan-Japan flights.
In 2010, China Airlines and Japan Airlines carried out the first shared flight route between Taipei (Songshan) and Tokyo (Haneda). In 2017, the two airlines cooperated on the international routes of Taiwan and Japan to expand the China Airlines network, increasing from 180 to 230 flights per week. This time, both airlines will link the Japanese second-tier cities by increasing to nearly 350 flights a week to meet the convenience of Chinese and Japanese travelers in exploring Japan's local cities and islands.
According to the statistics of the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Communications, the number of Japanese visitors to Taiwan increased by 1.59 per cent in the first half of this year, and the annual growth rate of Taiwanese visitors to Japan reached 8.75 per cent. It is obvious that the Taiwanese market still has development potential.
At present, China Airlines flies from Taoyuan, Songshan and Kaohsiung to 15 destinations in Japan, including Haneda, Narita, Kansai, Sapporo, Nagoya Chubu, Shizuoka, Toyama, Hiroshima, Takamatsu, Fukuoka, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Ryukyu, Ishigaki and Kumamoto. It is the airline with the largest number of destinations in Taiwan and Japan and the largest passenger load.
Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
Cathay Dragon launches seasonal scheduled flight to Tokushima, the largest city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku Island in western Japan, on 19 December 2018 using its A320 aircraft. It flies from Hong Kong to Tokushima on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
On 19 December 2018, Cathay Dragon flight KA322 departs from Hong Kong for Tokushima at 9.30 am, touches down in Tokushima at 2 pm before leaving Tokushima for Hong Kong at 4.30 pm and arriving in Hong Kong at 8.10 pm under flight KA323. On Saturdays, KA323 leaves Tokushima for Hong Kong at 5 pm and arrives in Hong Kong at 9 pm.
The above schedules are effective until 30 March 2019.
According to Xiang Fei, Hong Kong's famous aviation publisher, Cathay Dragon has operated charter flights to Tokushima before and it remains the only airline to operate international flights to Tokushima. Tokushima is currently linked to Haneda and Fukuoka by scheduled flights of Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways.
Tokushima is known for its Naruto whirlpools that form the fastest strait current in Asia, the beautiful scenery of Awaji from the Naruto Strait, the eyebrow-like peak of Mt Bizan, Bizan Ropeway (cable car service to Mt Bizan), vine bridges of Iya Valley, and the famous Japanese statue of a boy urinating to the valley to show his manliness.
The opening of Cathay Dragon's scheduled route to Tokushima has raised Hong Kong's connectivity to Japan as the desired hub for all Japan-bound flights from outside Japan.
Currently Hong Kong-based airlines operate flights to more than 15 Japanese airports including HK Express' flights to Fukuoka, Haneda, Narita, Ishigaki, Takamatsu, Nagoya Chubu, Hiroshima, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Kansai, Cathay Dragon's flights to Naha, Komatsu, Sendai, Fukuoka and Hong Kong Airlines' flights to Yonago, Miyazaki (ends 28 October 2018), Okayama, Kansai, Narita and Sapporo. Hong Kong is also a focus city of Peach, Vanilla Air, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways.
